Lubricating apparatus



Nov. 2l, l933- G. L. MOORE vmnsmcuvrrm APPARATus Filed NOV. 16, 1928 f tIIIIIIII Irl [lll IBI' Patented Nov. 21, 1933 `LUBRICATING APPARATUSGeorge L. Moore, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Alemite Corporation,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application November 16, 1928Serial No. 319,992

8 Claims.

My invention relates to lubricating systems and apparatus in general andmore particularly to centralized systems in which a plurality ofbearings are lubricated from a common source of lubricant underpressure.

An object of my invention is tov provide a new and improved measuringvalve positioned at each of the bearings of a centralized lubricatingsystem to measure a quantity of lubricant upon each pressure impulsefrom the source and'deliver it to the bearings.

'Another object of my inventionV is to provide a new and improvedmeasuring valve in a centralized lubricating system whereby vthe amountof lubricant to be delivered to a bearing upon any one operation may bepositively predetermined.

Another object of my invention is to provide a measuring valve whereinthe volume of the charge of lubricant to be delivered to a` bearing 20maybe reduced or increased in a simple manner. A further object ofmyinvention is to provide a measuring valve having a spring balancedmeasuring unit.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a measuring valveYwhich prevents direct communication between the source of supply andthebearing to be lubricated atall times.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a measuring valvewhich Vis simple in design, economical to manufacture vand has a minimumof moving partsj Other Yobjects and advantages of my inventio 1 willbecome more apparent through theV following detailed description `andaccompanying drawjing vin Vwhich Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectionalview of one `of the measuring valves of my invention showing the partsin their normal position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical'cross sectional view of my valve illustrating theposition of the parts at the completion of a lubricating operation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal crosssectional view of my valve takenonthe Aline 3-4-3 of 'Fig-1;

merals designate like parts throughoutl the sevg eral views, the numeral9 indicates theY body member of my measuring valve and has a centralbore 10 through which the lubricant passes. The

Fig'. 4 isan enlarged fragmentary detail viewv .lower end of the bodymemberV4 9` is 'threadedA to receive a suitable fitting 11 which'isthreaded at 12tofaford connection withV the bearing or vpart to belubricated (not shown),

The fitting 11 is provided with a hex-nut 14 tofacilitate attachment toVthe bearing and the upper end'of thefitting is beveled inwardly at 15pair o f slots 16 (Fig. 4) per beveled'edge 15 of are provided in theupthe fitting 11. The bore 10' terminates in a shoulder 17 and a smallerbore 18 is provided in the lower end of the fitting l1 which aords apassage for lubricant and ,also a'seat for a ball check valve 19 whichis heldY inV position by' iaV mounted ina groove521 the extremelowerwend of the fitting. y Y

The upper end ofthe Vin a manner Videntical fitting 11, as-shown infingered spring clip 20 body member 9 is beveled to the upper end of theFigql, and has a pair of `slotsm22 cut in its beveled edge similar tothe Vslots 16 of the fitting'll.V Abushing 23 is mounted on the upperend of the member 9 byA screw I threads and is countersunk in a suitablemanner to securely fit over and atA the upper end o f the 'alubricant-tight seal.

engage the beveled edge body member 9 and form A connector 25 isscrewthreaded onhthejtop o f thebuhs'hing 237i to connect the measuringvalve withak supply linej 26 which conducts lubricant from shown). Thebushing 23 also has a small central tliejsource of supply (not A piston;31fis recip bore 10 and comprises of a sizertol snugly iit rocablymounted in the a leather cup'washer ,32, against 'the walls of the bore10, and a metal cup washer 33, of slightly lessv diameter, suitably 34.`A .metal washer 35 isuprovided in the lower'y jpart of thecup Washer nthe shape of the cup washer. A second piston 31' held together by arivet 32 to aid in maintaining is also reciprocably mounted in thebore10 and is identical to` the Vpiston 3 1 just described, havinga ofthe same size as the Washer 33, by means of' a rivet 34', and has a lmewithin `the cup Washer These two'pistons ser tal washer `35 positioned32 l ve to measure the charge of lubricant to be delivered to a bearingand are maintained in position and controlled by three springs, thestrongest of which is a compression spring 36 seated at its lower end onthe shoulder 17 of the fitting 11 and having its upper end pressingagainstand seated in the metal cup washer 33 of the piston 31,.tendingto urge this piston upwardly. A second spring 37 of lesser strength thanthe spring 36 is disposed between the two pistons 31 and 31', its lowerend seating on the metal Washer 35 in the piston 31 and its upper endbearing against the metal cup Washer 33' of the piston 31', and tendingto urge these two pistons apart from each other. A third spring 38,hereinbefore mentioned, is securely Vheld in the annular groove 29 ofthe bushing 23 and is a compression spring of lesser` strengththan thecompression spring 37 and its lower end is seated upon the metal washer35 of .the piston 31' and its upper end engages the shoulder 28 ofthebushing `23. .when the spring is compressed, thereby tending to urge thepiston 31v downwardly.

Referring-to Fig. 1, `which illustrates the structure. just describedkin normal position at a time when no pressure is being exerted from thesource of supply, it will. be noted that the strongest spring 36 holdsthe piston 31 well up in the central bore 1,0 of the member 9 sealingthe bore 10 against down flow of lubricantbeyond the piston` 31.

'Ihe spring 37,.'which is stronger than the spring 38, .compresses .thespring 38 entirely and holds the piston 31 up nearly to the top` ofthebore 10. When the piston 31 is in this position it will be noted thatthe washerI 32 isr suitably positioned opposite the slots 22. located inthe beveled edge v at the top .of themember y9 so that lubricant maypass around the-outer edges, of the cup washer 32 .and through the slots.22 into-.the bore 10. vIt is for this reason that the metal cup washer373 .ismade of lessendiametersothat lubricant may -pass between itsouter periphery and` the walls of .the bore'io. LWithl the pistoni inunsposition, a` plunger Alocated at the'source of supply (not-shown).may be'lactuated to build upV apres- -sure-in the supply-line 26,whereby lubricant will .be forced-'.through the bore.29, around the cuptwasher. of the piston 31,', through the slots 22 yand into theS-bore10, which ow will continue Auntil the chambenlormed ybetween therpistonst31 and v.31 is Aiilled with lubricant. A continued pressure will .thencompress. thefspring 36 and the piston 31 will :move downwardly, as willthe .pistonlr'. When the-piston .31 has moved. a very short distance thewasher 32 will pass beyond the slots 22 and completely cutoff further.iiow of .lubricant into.A the chamberformed-.be-

tween the pistons 31 and 3,1 Vin the bore- 10. Thus, there is containedbetween the `two pistons a definitely-'measured volume Vof .lubricantdetermined. by .the.distance Vbetween the pistons and the'. diameter of.the bore 10.

Whenthepiston y31. has moved downwardly so that vthe lubricant .can Ynolonger flow .into the 4chamber described, further pressure on thelubricant fromthe supply line 26 willacttomoye the Vrpiston 31.downwardly and alsomovethe piston 31.downward1y, furthercompressing the`spring 36 because of the incompressibility of. thel charge oflubricantbetween the twopistons. When this charge of lubricant' has beenmoved 'downwardly far enough for. the'piston 31 to reach the position Yshown Vin Fig. 2 with the cup Washer 32 opposite me siotsie-,of tire.mungii, the spring 36 wm be rmeasuring valve.

tinues tobe discharged from the measuring charnfber until the 'spring 37is completely compressed,

as shown in Fig. 2.

Upon release of 'the pressure in the supply line VA26,:which isaccomplished in any suitable manner atthefsou'rce, the springs 36 and3'7 will force the pistons 31 and 31 back to the positions shown in'Fig.1 to await a fresh charge of lubricant to `be forced into the measuringchamber and deliveredI to the bearing as hereinabove described. It willbe noted that thepi'ston 31 needs but to move a slight distance upwardlyout `of alignment with the slots 16 in the fitting 11 to completely sealthe 100 chamber l0 against return of lubricant from the bearing. Suchreturn is also prevented by the spring pressed ball check valve 19.There are many advantages in the use of thi upon each of the bearings tobe lubricated. An impulse from the source of supply will force apredetermined charge of lubricant to the bearing and upon each operationof the valve exactly the same amount of Alubricant will be sent to thebearing as upon the previous operation, insuring an accurate feeding ofthe bearings in the system. Some of thebearings may require morev orless lubricant than other .of the bearings. In my system ofV valvecontrol this is readily arranged by `providing measuring valves havingcentral bores of diierent sizes.

Thus a .larger bearing may regularly receive the required larger volumethan the smaller bearing. A great. advantage of my invention is thatwhen a bearing becomes Worn or -for any other reason the amount oflubricant to be supplied to this bearing at regular intervals is .to bechanged, a mere substitution of springs of diierent proportionatestrengths for the three control springs of my valve will bring about theldesired result. In my spring balanced structure there are no rigidmembers to limit the size of the measuring chamber formed by thepistons, that is, the .pistons may be closer together'or farther apart,dependent upon the relative strengths of- Vthe balance springs, and thismovement is not v provided with lubricant by-passes therein, a pair fofpistons reciprocable in -said bore, and spring meansy bearing directlyon both sides of each of said pistons. A

2. In a measuring valve having a central bore provided with lubricantrby-passes therein, a pair of pistons reciprocable in said bore, a springdis- .posedbetween said pistons to. urge them. apart,

and another springv means on the other sides of;

said. pistons tending to force same toward each other.

ton reciprocable in said bore in the upper por- One of these valves isplaced Mib tion thereof, a second piston reciprocable in said bore inthe lower portion thereof, spring means tending to position the firstmentioned piston opposite one of the lubricant by-passes to allowlubricant to flow between the pistons, and secondary spring meansadapted to move said piston downwardly to stop said ow of lubricant whenthe second piston moves toward another lubricant by-pass to allowlubricant to ow from the space between said pistons.

4. A measuring valve for use in a system of centralized lubricationcomprising a measuring chamber, a pair of pistons reciprocable therein,a lubricant by-pass in both the upper and lower ends of the chamber, andspring means tending to locate said pistons in said chamber relative tosaid by-passes so that a measured charge of 1ubricant will be expelledfrom the valve when 1ubricant under pressure is supplied thereto.

5. In a measuring valve having a central bore provided with lubricantby-passes therein, a piston reciprocable in the upper portion of thebore, a second piston reciprocable in the lower portion of the bore,means tending to position the rst said piston opposite one of thelubricant by-passes to allow lubricant to iiow between the pistons andexert pressure upon the last said piston, and means adapted to move thefirst said piston downwardly to stop said iiow of lubricant when thelast said piston is moved by said lubricant pressure.

6. A measuring valve comprising a barrel, a pair of pistons adapted toreciprocate therein, said barrel being provided with upper and lowerby-passes, means tending to locate the upper piston adjacent the upperby-pass to provide a lubricant transfer passage around said piston,means tending to locate the lower piston above the location of the lowerby-pass and in spaced relation to the upper piston, and means operablewhen the lower piston moves downwardly to move the upper piston to closethe upper bypass and permit both pistonsk to be moved downwardly byfluid pressure until the lower piston cooperates with the lower by-passto discharge lubricant therethrough.

`7. In a lubricating system, a measuring valve having a central boreprovided with a pair of lubricant by-passes therein, a pair of pistonsin said bore, each of which is reciprocable past a diierent one of saidby-passes, and spring means normally determining the relative positionsof said pistons in said bore with respect to said bypasses.

8. A `measuring valve for use in a system of centralized lubrication,comprising a central cylinder having a pair of lubricant by-passestherein, a pair of pistons in said cylinder, each of which isreciprocable past its respective by-pass, said pistons forming ameasuring chamber therebetween, and spring means normally positioningsaid pistons with respect to each other so as to make the measuringchamber formed therebetween of a fixed volume, said pistons when movedrelatively being adapted to expel a fixed quantity of lubricant fromsaid chamber.

GEORGE L. MOORE.

